Friday, July 09, 2004

Useless Fact For July 9

The Fact Speaks:

In the famous Parker Brothers game Monopoly, the space on which a player has the greatest statistical chance of landing is Illinois Avenue. This is followed by the B&O Railroad, Free Parking, Tennessee Avenue, New York Avenue, and the Reading Railroad.

As I woke up yesterday morning to rolling thunder and dark skies, I knew that our planned night of "water wars" was in serious jeopardy. Then when I logged onto weather.com and saw that the prediction was for storms literally every hour of the day, I realized God had started the war early. The worst part was it wasn't going to get over 63 degrees all day (gotta' love summer in Maine).

So, I had to make the difficult executive decision to postpone water wars. We rescheduled them for two weeks from now and most of the kids were completely understanding. So quickly Kendra and I had to come up with an alternate plan. So we kicked it into high gear and the love of my life began designing one of her world famous scavenger hunts. Also, Jason, our games guy, emailed me volunteering to come up with some other games as well. You have got to love having a reliable team.

The scvavenger hunt lasted 45 fun filled minutes. The challenge and excitement didn't come with the discovery of the winning team but came when the fight for 3rd and 4th place was neck and neck. It went over better than I could have hoped. The kids loved it. Then Jason stepped up and we played another game that took awhile. There was no way you could even tell we had not planned for the night before 4:00 that day! God is good!

Afterwards, I got the chance to talk to the college aged kid who wanted to go on the mission trip but isn't eligible. I wrote at length about that in an earlier blog. I was apprehensive because confrontation is not my thing. I had been praying for a week about it every time I thought of it but I still had reservations.

The talk went great! He was very understanding and I felt he was being very genuine with me. He expressed he had been upset at first but when he thought it out and realized the other couple were going as a husband and wife he totally understood! What a relief that was! Go God! Now I just hope his friends all respond in such a mature manner!

So all in all it was a banner night at TNT! Only 3 more before the year is up! Then we are Raleigh bound!

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A month after Ronald Reagan's death, items from the 40th president's funeral, burial and weeklong public viewing are selling fast on the online auction site eBay.

The company, based in San Jose, has sold 780 pieces of Reagan funeral memorabilia since June 11 for a total of $66,000. The items range from programs from Reagan's interment at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley to gratitude cards given to mourners who visited his casket.

The best selling items have been those from the star-studded National Cathedral service in Washington, D.C., which was attended by President Bush, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, Bill Clinton and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

One funeral program that went online just hours after the service sold for $1,525. Another sold for $1,075 the next morning.

"Personally, I find it very sad. If you were fortunate enough to be able to receive one of the items, I would think you'd want to keep them," said Melissa Giller, chief of staff at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation in Simi Valley.

But she added, "The president believed in economic opportunity and the free market."

Katie Gray, 18, of Oak Park said she hopes to get up to $500 for a program from Reagan's interment that she received from a reporter friend who covered the event.

"I'd really love to keep it, but I'm putting the money toward my education," said Gray, who will be attending Harvard University in the fall. Gray said her brother received $500 for his program.

Reagan died June 5 after battling Alzheimer's disease for a decade.

Jasper Speaks:

Now most of you know I went through my eBaying phase a few weeks ago but this is ridiculous! It saddens me that people would auction off pieces of history (let a lone a man's life) to make a buck. We have lost touch with history in a lot of ways. The selling of stuff on eBay seems to take a higher place than preserving the past for our future. I know I sound like I am on a high horse but I didn't mention much on here when Ronald Reagan passed away. He was the last great American President and here are people who are profiting off his death. Shame!

Facing The Giants, Star Wars Trilogy, Steel Magnolias, Never Been Kissed, X-Men 1 & 2, Without A Paddle, Rogue One, Chariots of Fire, End of The Spear, Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, Braveheart, T2, To Save A Life

Quotes I Speak From Famous and Not So Famous Things

"No day but today!""Everything that is awesome is God and everything that is God is awesome!" - James MacDonald"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to proser you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future!'"-Jeremiah 29:11"A thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I come to give you life; a real and better life than you have ever dreamed of." - John 10:10"But God demonstrated His own love for us in this, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8